Jackson Jambalaya

Much more likely his kids went to SA because they went to JPS. It was a common theme in the late 1990s/ early 2000s with the Belhaven and Fondren kids with liberal parents. They went to all of the PPS rallies and talked a good game before pulling their kids out as soon as the realities of JPS high school became apparent. Meanwhile the poor kids were stuck with the Democrat run disaster when they bailed and left everyone else to suffer the consequences of the local government they were directly responsible for putting into place.

I’m surprised Kingfish published this, he normally censors any mention of Carswell’s involvement in the Brexit grift.

Mr. Mumford sent a response. It will be published tomorrow.

What’s wrong with calling a spade a spade?

I shouldn't have to explain to someone who thinks he is smart as you do but I will anyway. Comments trashing sponsors on their sponsored posts are not allowed. Period. Usually sponsors turn off comments for obvious reasons. It's their call. However, the think tank ones such as Bigger Pie, MCPP, and Empower Mississippi do not as they believe in free and open debate. Debate, not trashing. That means no trashing them personally or doxxing. That means no throwing everything and the kitchen sink at them. You want to disagree with their position, go ahead. Those have almost always been published. Many comments try to discriminate against Mr. Carswell for his country of origin. Of course, they wouldn't do that if he was black. OH wait, some of you do make such comments, and guess what? They don't get approved.

Carswell did nothing wrong IMO. Neither did Munford. They are intelligent men with opposing views. Seems to me Crawford would respect their right to disagree, even when Carswell points out Munford's choice of private schools for his family. And... Carswell's support of Brexit does not disqualify him from having an opinion on MS schools. Carwell lives here, like Munford. Let the men debate, Crawford.
I have supported public schools for decades, but unless the public education system is overhauled it will continue its decline.
RMQ

I guess ole Bill want the 501c3 pulled because they offered political opinions. That is okay with me as long as the Southern Poverty Law Center, Sierra Club, et al get pulled first.

Bill said, "he apparently conducted research to learn the Munford children attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. He failed to note they attended Jackson public schools through the eighth grade"

Hey Bill, and just what was said that was not truthful? He sent his kids to St. Andrews. He didn't send them to Jim Hill.

Bill and Sid must have a bet of who can write the most asinine column each week. What a waste of internet space.

I grow weary of being chastised by this MCPP group.

Sending your kids to public school doesn't negate the hypocrisy of sending them to private school as a public school advocate.

If Mississippi Today and Mississippi Free Press can be a 510c3 despite clearly lying about being non-partisan, then I have no problem with MCPP.

They went to all of the PPS rallies and talked a good game before pulling their kids out as soon as the realities of JPS high school became apparent.

Many, many, many of them didn't wait until high school. They pulled their children out of JPS before middle school.

“ I have supported public schools for decades, but unless the public education system is overhauled it will continue its decline.”

Wait a minute. I thought that Tate Reeves has been lauding the achievements of the the Public School system under his terms as Lt. Gov and as Governor. Mr. Carswell calls Gov. Reeves a liar and says that he is running a failing system. I did not know that. Looks like Tate needs to Explain himself.

Carswell supports a local private school.

Ooooops. Left out Gardner. Him too.

Nice editorializing Mr. Crawford - you say that Munford "asked a question" of Carswell at the Jackson Rotary Club; what folks who were present have said about that exchange was that Mr. Munford didn't just "ask a question" but posed a long dissertation on the propriety of using tax dollars for school choice (which Munford claimed -- improperly, based on Carswell's presentation and response, but ignored by Munford - was to allow children to attend private schools) and once Carswell gave a short, reasoned response, Munford gave a lengthy dissertation ---- similar to what one might use in a closing argument to an Appeals Court ---- on the legal issues HE felt were involved and why such a policy was not only misguided but contstitutionally barred.

Your attempt to defend Munford's debate with Carswell as "asking a question" is laughable when in fact Munford's Northside Sun column was much shorter than his "question" ---- and debate-type response.

And, you note that Munford's children attended public schools up through the eighth grade but you fail to acknowledge that at that time (70's and 80's) the NE Jackson JPS elementary schools - Casey in particularly, which is the one where Munford's children would have attended based on the requirement of current law as determined by the physical location of their residence - were safe and quality institutions; unlike the middle and high school they would have been required to attend (again, based on their residence location) which were and are rated in the bottom quartile of all in the state - and were and aren't today institutions that you or any parent would send their children if you cared about their safety.

Frankly, I respect Mr. and Mrs. Munford for choosing to spend their personal money to provide a quality education for their children, recognizing that they are successful attorneys and have the means to provide that opportunity. What I don't respect is that they and others including you, do not seem to give a damn about the children who's parents do not have the means to move out of the district that determines their children's school, much less be able to afford the choice, the opportunity, to select their school - public, private or parochial - by paying the tuition of those private schools and the government will not allow them to attend a public school other than the one selected by the government for those that live in that location. Proclaiming that 'public dollars must only be spent as the government dictated decades ago, that no other solution or process can be considered; being unwilling to acknowledge that following this process which is failing many of our state's children all in the name of a political position is shameful. But at least they support the idea of quality education for some while they ensure that their children will not be subjected to the same failed system.

@8:26pm Good Lord, your diatribe contradicts itself a half dozen times. Pick a lane!

It does not. It is right on.

The MCPP ought to stick to policies and stay out of personal attacks or praise. And, it certainly isn't helpful to go back decades to discuss what policies should be implemented to day and the feasibility of implementation. If they are better ways to do things, critic the current way and describe in detail how the better way improves the outcomes. Politics is making us over-reacting, overly emotional, idiots! For God sakes, think before you speak or write AFTER you have actually educated yourself on the issue at hand.

Private schools cannot compete with a great public school system. My grands went to public school in one city in a state as that city had poured money and time into their system. When my grands moved to another city in the same state, the private schools were better as they had had very wealthy citizens who funded those schools long before busing. The campuses were beautiful and the teachers were paid way more. The town even had great school owned housing for teachers near the school . In another city, the public elementary schools are specialized and names are placed in a lottery for the school the parents think best suits their child's needs. In the Jackson metro area, IF you had the money to send your child to one of the private schools, your child would still have to pass their entrance requirements. And, IF your John or Jane is brilliant, there is a scholarships at each private school. If your John or Jane is a problem student, you'd best be rich enough to donate loads of money each year to keep them in class and yet still you'll have weeks of having him or sitting home after being expelled. Colleges and universities give high schools a numerical rating. What a foolish thing to pay for a private high school if Murrah's rating is higher. Might want to find out how high your kid's high school is rated. As it is, the highest Mississippi rating may not make a difference at some of the top schools against others whose high school rank higher but the kids tested the same in entrance exams and grades.
The folks that do the rating could care less about our in state politics. They care only about the reputations of their institutions. And, if you knew how that works, there's a reason a kid went from St A's to Murrah. Kid knew he was not going to get valedictorian at St A's but finishing at Murrah would do get him that there. You really need to know how a system works before tinkering with it or you're going to break something with your ignorance. I don't try to fix my car for that very reason. Even scarier is that knowledge expands after you graduated from anywhere and if you don't keep up with advances and changes , then you are screwed.

Thank goodness for the Northside Sun that gives us multiple quality writings from smart folks. Thank goodness for JJ where people can read and discuss such daily.

High wind warning in effect @ 9:29 AM.

9:24: Hello Toto. I've a feeling that we aren't in Kansas anymore. I've also a feeling that this is 2024 and not 1970.
As a JPS graduate, I had to self-educate myself as when I got to college as I quickly learned my fellow students were miles ahead of me. The result was that I participated in very little of the college fun as I spent most of my waking hours in a study carrel. The upside is that it built in me a strong academic work ethic. So in that respect, JPS gave a good result. The ineptitude of JPS indirectly led to me getting a good education as I had to work harder than my fellow students.

I am glad too we can discuss these questions here. I feel like the legislative discussion is being dominated by many older elected officials who did not have to swim in the current of the current sexualization of public schools as parents. It would be interesting to see if the polling supporting school choice was more favorable amongst young adult parents vs older adults with memories of an older basic school system.